I miss cans

[CR94]

Steel quart cans vanished in the early 1960s, if not before. I bought engine oil in a 10-quart steel can in 1973. Those disappeared soon after that.

The cardboard-steel hybrid cans that replaced all-steel lasted until the early to mid-1980s. They did not require the clumsy, tricky, push-in spout. Their main fault was susceptibility to being dropped, which crushed the cardboard, resulting in leaks.

I doubt typical modern plastic quarts are significantly, if any, more space-efficient than round quarts. What they gain with their roughly rectangular main cross-section, they lose with the tapered upper part. Cases of plastic quarts are smaller and lighter mainly because they contain only half as much oil as the old 24-quart boxes did.

 

[Red Crow]

Steel quart cans vanished in the early 1960s, if not before. I bought engine oil in a 10-quart steel can in 1973. Those disappeared soon after that.

The cardboard-steel hybrid cans that replaced all-steel lasted until the early to mid-1980s. They did not require the clumsy, tricky, push-in spout. Their main fault was susceptibility to being dropped, which crushed the cardboard, resulting in leaks.

I doubt typical modern plastic quarts are significantly, if any, more space-efficient than round quarts. What they gain with their roughly rectangular main cross-section, they lose with the tapered upper part. Cases of plastic quarts are smaller and lighter mainly because they contain only half as much oil as the old 24-quart boxes did.

If I produced my own motor oil, I would sell it in cases of 24 metal quart cans.

 

[SteveG4]

Agreed. Worked in a full service ARCO station in my teens and you could have an oil can disaster with no warning. The spout piercing the lid did make a distinctive sound but I've happily lived without it. These were the cardboard cans in the early 70s. Guess I'm not old enough for all metal cans.

I'm 55, and I barely remember these when "getting in the way" of my father as he changed the oil in his 60's Rambler and '68 Catalina stationwagon. I was a little tyke back then!

 

[SteveG4]

I like big cans !!

Tell your wife that!

Can I even say that anymore? Gosh! IDK.

 

[FordMan59]

That's fine, but there were aluminum cans as far back as at least the fifties, and there were round, five quart metal cans that had to be pierced just like the quart cans. I have a Union 76 Royal Triton can from the mid 50s that is aluminum.

I've never seen an aluminum oil can or a 5 qt. metal can. All that I ever saw were tin cans and I remember some companies having gallon (4qt.) tin cans.

 

[FordMan59]

Steel quart cans vanished in the early 1960s, if not before.

You're off on your timeline for metal cans. I was born in '59 and remember the metal cans well. I bought my first car in '77 and I know the Havoline oil I used in it came in metal cans. I don't know just when the change to the cardboard cans came in but I have a few quarts of Castrol GTX in cardboard cans. I bought it for a motorcycle in the mid '80's, never used it all and it's still in my garage. I don't know what I did with my oil spout. I was thinking about that awhile back. I know I didn't throw it away but I haven't seen it in years.

 

[adams355]

Nulon in Australia still put there best product in a can

 

[CR94]

You're off on your timeline for metal cans. I was born in '59 and remember the metal cans well. I bought my first car in '77 and I know the Havoline oil I used in it came in metal cans. ...

That must've been some old Havoline by '77! Note that AZjeff said he remembers "cardboard cans in the early 70s." The "cardboard cans" had steel ends crimped to their cardboard sides.

I don't remember ever seeing aluminum oil cans. In the '60s, my father sometimes bought oil from Southern States in reuseable 5-gallon steel cans with spouts; we reused them for transporting gasoline for the tractor.

 

[FordMan59]

That must've been some old Havoline by '77! Note that AZjeff said he remembers "cardboard cans in the early 70s." The "cardboard cans" had steel ends crimped to their cardboard sides.

I don't remember ever seeing aluminum oil cans. In the '60s, my father sometimes bought oil from Southern States in reuseable 5-gallon steel cans with spouts; we reused them for transporting gasoline for the tractor.

Some manufacturers may have started the cardboard cans earlier but but I know Havoline used all metal cans way up into the 70's. Back then I always used Havoline. I was only 17 when I bought my first car so I didn't have a stash of 15-25 year old oil then. Unless I'm mistaken there was also a time I don't remember when it was that Havoline used a round plastic can with a crimped metal top but the bottom was part of the molded plastic bottle. I suspect this was between the cardboard can and the plastic bottles we currently use. Here's a picture similar to the cans I was using in my '77 Buick Regal when new. There's still about a half dozen full ones at mom's house that dad never used and they didn't move there until 1969 so I know they were bought after that. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-LOT-3-Original-Texaco-Havoline-Super-Premium-Metal-1-Qt-Oil-Can/164700174891?_trkparms=aid=1110006&algo=HOMESPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=20131231084308&meid=307411ee1c9540f7a25c897728b9823c&pid=100010&rk=6&rkt=12&sd=254867839722&itm=164700174891&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2047675&algv=DefaultOrganicWithAblationExplorer&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

Here's another metal Havoline can I remember my dad using in the first car I remember him owning a '61 Ford Falcon. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Original-Texaco-Havoline-Motor-1-One-Gallon-Oil-Can-Good-Condition/393093334214?_trkparms=aid=1110006&algo=HOMESPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=20131231084308&meid=1154154953dc4380b683bf15541da934&pid=100010&rk=5&rkt=12&sd=164700174891&itm=393093334214&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2047675&algv=DefaultOrganicWithAblationExplorer&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

Being born in '59 I don't think I'd have remembered the can until at least age 5 or 1964. They also made one that was red instead of blue. The one pictured is a gallon can but the quarts were identical. I don't know if the difference was oil weight or detergent vs. non detergent.